This Week's (And a Little of Last Year's) Weather

Classic winter conditions returned over the weekend to make the capital area seem lighter and brighter, but conditions are not yet ideal for many.

That includes cross-country skiers (Tartu has only 3 cm of very unsubstantial base with about month to go before the marathon) to farmers (winter rapeseed may be damaged without enough of an insulating layer).

While conditions in Tallinn have resembled a snow globe over the last 36 hours, only 6 cm had fallen as of this morning. Interestingly, an area of the north coast corresponding almost exactly with the boundaries of Lahemaa National Park has received a foot of snow.

More of the same light and fluffy snow is expected this week, as a high-pressure system continues to consolidate over all of northern Europe. Temperatures will drop a few degrees as the week progresses. In general, daytime highs will be -4 to -9 C while nights should see -9 to -13 C. Winds will be light, first from the north, then east in the tail end of the week.

According to some long-range forecasts, the current cold spell could last through January 25.

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The Meteorology and Hydrology Institute has released its recap of 2013, which was notable for its warm spring, summer and autumn.

Highlights and facts:

- May was the second-warmest in the last 50 years (17.0 average temperature). Only May 1993 was warmer (17.6). The average temperature in May broke many local records.

- The summer was also a good one - that is, for fans of summer, not those worrying about climate change. The 17.4 C average was tied with 1999 for second. The record is shared by 2010 and 2011 (18.1 C). The summer also received only 71 percent of long-term average rainfall.

- The highest temperature was 32.5 C on August 8 in Valga, the lowest was -28.7 C on January 19 in Jõgeva, an inland town called the capital of cold weather.

- The highest wind speed was 119.5 kph on Vilsandi, an island off Saaremaa.

- The year had a snowy start, March was the coldest month, and the last of the snow didn't melt until April 20. But despite sleet in late September, the year ended with a December that was tied for second-warmest of the last 50 years, not that it felt "warm" at all.

- Viljandi had 99 days on which the sun did not show itself at all, qualifying it for the cloudiest town.

The Estonian Maritime Administration decided on Wednesday to reopen maritime traffic routes where in colder winters ice roads would make it possible to drive out to the islands. This winter is too warm, and the ice not strong enough.

The police barred ice fishers from venturing out onto the sea ice off the coast of the Pärnu, Saare and Lääne counties on Tuesday. With the rising temperatures, the ice is now too thin, and anyone going out on it is in danger of breaking through.

Let's Do It! movement that began in Estonia in 2008 and has since organized campaigns in 112 countries, involving 14,5 million people, has announced it will hold a worldwide cleanup day on September 8, 2018.

Soomaa, a national park in southwestern Estonia that stretches over 390 square kilometers of wetlands, floods every year during what is called the “fifth season” in Estonia. However, for several years now, the flooding has started in January, considerably earlier than before.

Estonia is ranked 8th in the recently published Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2016, which rates world's top and worst performers in terms of their efforts to protect ecosystems and human health.

The Internal Security Services (ISS) found an 85-kilo container, designed to hold radioactive material, dug into the ground near the border of the Estonian capital. The barrel posed no direct danger to either people or the environment.

The National Audit Office is of the opinion that local governments should be more active in ensuring everyone’s right to access the sea, lakes or rivers for recreation and exercise, and make sure that there are signs that point people who are unfamiliar with the local conditions in the right direction.

The weekend will bring more strong winds and sea level rise, met office warns. People are advised to keep an eye on weather forecasts and be prepared for power cuts, blocked roads, and disruptions in ferry services.

After precise measurements were taken, a 48.6 meter spruce, located in Veriora Rural Municipality, Põlva County, was recognized as Estonia’s tallest tree. Aand as an added bonus, a record setting 46.6 meter pine was located only a few hundred meters away from the spruce.

Estonian environmental activists have embarked on a project to raise public awareness about climate change by driving through seven countries en route to ongoing UN climate conference in Paris. The Climate Bus departed today and will make several stops on the way to Paris.

Estonia struggles with hunting-tourists who believe that EU hunting regulations do not apply in a country like Estonia. The Environmental Inspectorate has already caught two hunting parties this fall, who went against the practice of good conduct when hunting waterfowl.